


Christmas

by Hellas_himself



Series: Crack Ship Holidays [3]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: cassian x feyre, crack ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:22:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23413018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellas_himself/pseuds/Hellas_himself
Summary: Okay. So I know we’ve had at least 3 holidays since the last time I posted this but whatever. have some hella late christmas nonsense. It’ll be feyre’s bday, christmas and then new years. Reyes, Valentine’s day and then Cassian’s birthday which I will always write to be in the summer will go together in one until Sarah gives us his actual birthday.This ship is so stupid and I live for it.
Relationships: aedion & lysandra, aelin & rowan, azriel & elain, cassian & feyre, elide & lorcan, morrigan & andromache, rhys & lucien
Series: Crack Ship Holidays [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537876
Comments: 12
Kudos: 13





	Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. So I know we’ve had at least 3 holidays since the last time I posted this but whatever. have some hella late christmas nonsense. It’ll be feyre’s bday, christmas and then new years. Reyes, Valentine’s day and then Cassian’s birthday which I will always write to be in the summer will go together in one until Sarah gives us his actual birthday. 
> 
> This ship is so stupid and I live for it.

I smile when I see Cassian step into the gym with Az and Elain. Iliana comes running over to me and I welcome her with open arms.

“I saw your painting out front,” Lia says with a smile. “I know your signature. It’s very pretty.”

“Thank you,” I say and let her go. I greet Elain and Az with hugs and kisses. “Thank you guys for being here… I haven’t done anything like this in a long time.”

Elain playfully hits my arm.

“As if I would miss your first art show in school?”

Cassian comes to stand beside me and slides and arm around my shoulder. He presses a kiss to my temple.

“Hey, handsome.”

“You did good, bunny,” he says as he looks around the gym. With the help of my students, we set the display tables in a way to allow everyone to walk freely as well as make room for Aelin’s stage. It’s nothing more than a raised platform in the center of the room that Evangeline and I helped to decorate. She’s already there, getting her students ready. The home ec teacher has a cookie and hot chocolate station in one corner and there are arts and crafts and other things some of the parents have organized together to keep the kids busy as the parents walked around.

“There is a little contest between each grade. It wasn’t my idea but the parents apparently do this every year. Each kid who entered the art show get something regardless but the winner of each grade gets some kind of prize.”

“I wish I had known,” Cassian says playfully. I pinch his side.

After encouraging the others to look around, I make the rounds, greeting my students and their families. I refuse to vote for the contest- it isn’t hard to sing praises of these kids and their work. Aelin has her kids playing Christmas carols with their instruments while the small chorus group sings.

Evangeline stands blushing beside her oil painting of snow-capped mountains. Rowan and Elide are taking pictures of her while Lysandra and Aedion look on proudly. I catch Lorcan casting his vote for her and when he sees me, he just shrugs.

I get asked about an after-school program, if I tutor, if I take commissions. It’s slightly overwhelming but I still accept the phone numbers and business cards from the parents. I don’t need him to turn around to know that Tamlin is standing with Briar at the snack table. She’s chatting with one of the aids, wearing a matching ugly sweater with him. I’m surprised that he would be here, that he would even leave his house like that. Maybe he is capable of giving a shit, but it doesn’t matter. I see Cassian talking to one of my kindergarteners, praising their artwork with the same enthusiasm that he praises mine.

“Hi, Miss A,” Tessa says and Cassian looks up from where he’s kneeling. He smiles at me in such a way that I wish I could just kiss him in front of everyone here. But Tessa’s mom brings me from my thoughts as she thanks me and now Cassian for encouraging Tessa who was ‘not herself’ after her father left. Cassian graciously distracts Tessa while her mother and I talk quietly.

The principal calls everyone to dance and I am surprised to see Aelin at the piano. Only her older kids are playing instruments now and when she starts to sing, I want to cry. I knew she played the piano and the guitar, I’ve watched a few videos of her with a cello but she had never told me that she could sing. Cassian and I dance, Azriel and Rowan taking turns dancing with me. Elain and I dance while Cassian brings Iliana to get hot chocolate and cookies.

“I can’t believe he’s here,” she mumbles. I shrug.

“As long as he doesn’t talk to me, I really don’t care what he’s doing.”

“If he even speaks one word…”

I kiss my sister on the cheek and she sighs.

“You’ve done so good,” she says and gives me a smile. “I’m really proud of you Feyre.”

I don’t know what to say and blush, making her laugh.

The principal announces the winners of the art show while Aelin plays songs from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Goodie bags are passed around by volunteers dressed like elves and until I see his eyes, I had no idea that Aedion had disappeared to change into a santa suit to hand out presents to the kids- definitely Aelin’s work.

As the families and children leave, the school staff stay behind to clean up and talk. The principal hands out the bonuses and I’m surprised to receive one. Aelin insists we all take pictures by the tree and I try not to laugh at the sight of my sister standing between Cassian and Tamlin who are waiting for Briar and I to finish with the staff picture. Rowan throws an arm around Cassian’s shoulder and the two whisper to one another. Az has Iliana on his back and once we’re done, I make my way to them. I kiss my sleepy niece goodbye before saying my goodbyes to the others.

*

“Are you okay, bunny?”

I look up from my laptop to find Cassian walking into the bedroom.

“Mhm.”

“Work?” He looks at my laptop and I shake my head.

“No, just saving the pictures Aelin sent me. They’re cute.”

He joins me in bed and I turn the screen so he can see.

“I love you in the dress.”

I blush as I roll my eyes.

“Thank you,” I say and close the laptop. “And thank you for being there.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

I set the laptop on the night table and he pulls me into his arms.

“I love you,” I say to him and he smiles. I know he worries about what seeing Tamlin might do to me, he doesn’t have to say it. “If someone would have told me last Christmas that I’d be here with you like this… I wouldn’t have believed it.”

“No?”

“I wasn’t exactly the picture of hope.”

Cassian chuckles and kisses me.

“No… You weren’t.”

“But you were. You were and I made it through all of that because of you.”

“Bunny… You made it through all of that because of you and the work you put in.”

“Which I wouldn’t have done if you didn’t make me feel alive…”

“So it wasn’t just the mind blowing sex that did that?” he says playfully but I can tell he’s surprised.

“No… You did that way before I looked at you and wanted to rock your world.”

He smiles and I kiss him.

“And when did that happen?” he asks.

“Way before New Year’s Eve.”

“Really?”

“We went dancing for my birthday, remember?”

“Yeah, you wore that little red dress-”

“You remember?” I ask suddenly.

He scoffs as if the answer was obvious.

“We danced all night and even before we got shit faced you were being way more flirtatious than usual.” I could vividly remember the slow and steady way he grew more comfortable letting his hands roam while we danced. Almost everything he said that night had a double meaning, and I had been all too happy to indulge his flirting and flirt right back. I had finally felt something other than emptiness.

“It couldn’t be helped,” he says and kisses me. “You were so happy and that dress was just… Do you still have it?”

I snort. “Maybe… Why? Want me to put it on?”

I love the way he blushes at my tone. I kiss him and run my fingers through his hair.

“I love you, Cassian.”

“I love you, too, bunny.”

*

My phone is ringing and I can’t find it as I search for it blindly. I have to open my eyes and sit up. I find it at the foot of the bed, under my pajamas. With a groan, I go to answer it. I am surprised to see Nesta’s name on the screen but then I remember what day it is. I put her on speaker as I get dressed.

“Feyre?”

“Nesta.”

“Happy birthday,” she says and I sigh.

“Thanks.”

“Did I wake you up?”

I almost say yes, but Cassian had woken up me before he went to work and left the house late thanks to his idea of ‘wishing me a happy birthday’. I snort and pretend to cough.

“No.”

Silence. I go to the bathroom to wash up and I can hear her walking around.

“Elain said she’s taking you to breakfast.”

“Yeah, she is.”

“Did she tell you I was coming?”

“She mentioned something like that.”

Nesta sighs. “Do you think I can pick you up?”

I want to tell her that I was driving myself to meet Elain and Iliana but I recognize the hesitance in her voice.

“I have to let Val out first though.”

“Great! That gives me time to finish up.”

An hour later, I am locking the front door of the house. Nesta is parked outside, nervously tapping her fingers against the steering wheel. When I make it halfway down the driveway, Nesta gets out of the car and opens the passenger side door. She’s dressed casually for once- blue jeans and boots instead of a dress suit and heels. Her hair is down, too, straight where mine is wavy.

“Happy birthday,” she says again and gives me a tentative hug.

“Thanks, Nes.”

“Coffee?” she asks and I nod.

She drives us to the nearest Starbucks and insists I find us a seat while she orders. I answer texts while I wait, most of them from Rhysand and Elain. Aelin and Rowan sent me a ridiculous snapchat video and Lucien wrote me a long, heart felt message on an Instagram post with a bunch of pictures of us throughout the last year- except of course, one of them is of us as kids. I always hated my birthday, my parents had never really given it much importance. It was so close to Christmas and I had to wait the extra week or so to get a present. Never a party. Never anything more than a forced ‘happy birthday’. But Adela and Vinny… Those two threw me a birthday party every year until we were old enough to host our own. I remember the first year when we all met, I had not mentioned my birthday out of habit but Rhysand had told his mother and on Christmas Eve, they picked me up and took me to their house to celebrate. I still had the doll they’d bought me, tucked safely in a box in the attic.

“I don’t know you to drink anything else but this,” Nesta says and I look away from the Adela’s text to find my sister setting an iced caramel coffee before me.

“Perfect.”

Even better, she brought me cake pops. Nesta doesn’t touch her latte and instead is watching me tear into the cake pops as if I hadn’t eaten breakfast.

“Elain told me that Tamlin was at your work event,” she begins. “Are you okay? Did he say anything to you?”

With food in my mouth, I just shake my head. She waits for me to finish, to drink from my coffee.

“He kept his distance.”

She sighs.

“I feel… I should have been there.”

“His girlfriend works there, Nesta. I can’t exactly tell him to leave without reason.”

“He hurt you, that’s reason enough.”

“It’s fine. Elain was with me and you know Az and Cassian would never let him near me.”

“I know but… If I hadn’t upset you, I would have been there and I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry. I had no right to speak to you that way. I didn’t give you a reason to feel comfortable telling me about Cassian or your job or anything.”

I feel my face getting warm and I take a long sip of my coffee.

“I know your birthday is terrible timing for this but I didn’t know when else you’d be okay with talking to me… I haven’t been the greatest sister. I’ve been… awful.”

“You don’t have to wait for birthdays or anything to talk to me,” I say, finding it really hard to meet her eyes. I’m used to angry, irritated Nesta. Not… this. “You know I can’t be mad at you forever.”

“And that’s the thing… You’re too forgiving Feyre.”

I laugh and roll my eyes.

“Only you would complain about that.”

“I’m not complaining… I just mean that I don’t want anyone taking advantage of that.”

“Cassian isn’t going to do that.”

“I know he isn’t.”

When I raise a brow, she sighs.

“Just because you’re another year older doesn’t mean you stop being my baby sister.”

“Even if I wanted you to kill him, you can’t go to prison, Nesta.”

She laughs. “Shut up, Feyre.”

“I think I understand,” I say which seems to surprise her. I push the other cake pop to her. “I know you have one in your bag, but have this one.”

“A peace offering?” she asks.

“More or less. But if you really want to make it up to me, buy me drinks at the club tonight.”

Nesta grimaces at this and I laugh.

“I’m kidding.”

“No, it’s not that. I can’t say anything,” she says and looks at her watch. “We should go. Elain is almost there.”

*

“We’re going where?” I ask, looking at my stupidly handsome boyfriend who I want to strangle. “I look like you just picked me up off the corner!”

Cassian laughs at this and when I smack his arm he laughs even more.

“You look beautiful. Though I have to admit, this is going to be torture for me.”

“Torture? You’re not the one who has to worry about their ass hanging out of their dress in front of their boyfriend’s parents!”

I’d found the dress I wore for my birthday last year. I put it on thinking we were going dancing, not having dinner with his family at some fancy ass restaurant.

“Bunny, it’ll be fine. I swear.”

I groan and Cas puts his hand over my thigh.

“We can turn around.”

“No… Just. I’ll survive.”

Everyone is dolled up when we arrive, even Nesta is there.

“Now I know why she wouldn’t buy me drinks,” I mutter and Cassian laughs.

He kisses my cheek before letting my hand go as our friends and family come to greet us. I don’t feel too bad about my dress once I see the way Elain and Mor are dressed- even Aelin in her gold romper covered in sequins. Adela and Vinny are just as affectionate as always and I have to laugh when she hands me my present before I even sit down. I sit between Cassian and Rhys- both men encouraging me to open the small box as if it were for them. Children, really.

The waiter takes our drink orders and only then do I open the present- It’s a necklace, much like the one Elain has, but instead of a blue stone, it’s red. Cassian happily puts it on me before I go and thank his parents.

Conversation is easy going and I’m surprised that Nesta has lasted this long around us. She seems… content. I eat just as much as Cassian does, and by the time my cake is carried to the table, I don’t know how the hell I’m going to eat that, too. It’s a gorgeous cake, designed to look like a mash up of Van Gogh, Dali and Degas. And the inside- it’s the mojadito cake that Adela always made for us.

I get more presents; books from Aelin and Rowan, a sketchbook with my favorite pencils from Elain and Az, a pair of heels from Mor. Iliana made me a birthday card and got me a mug that says ‘not paint water’. Then there is the set of crazy expensive markers from Rhys and Lucien and a black pajama set from Amren that I did not show everyone because once I saw the label, I knew just what kind of set it was. She gave me a devil’s smile. Cassian gets up from his chair and walks over to Adela who hands him a very large box from somewhere under the table.

“Happy birthday, bunny,” he says as he sits down with it. The table is cleared to make room for the damn thing and I stand up to unwrap it. And it’s a fucking tablet. For digital art.

“Cas…”

He shrugs as if this is no big deal. I throw my arms around him and cover his face in kisses which leaves him laughing. I smack his arm.

“I can’t believe you!”

“Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding! I’m already thinking of all the things I’m going to make with it.”

Cassian smiles and kisses me properly.

*

When I turn away from the newly lit candles, Cassian is standing at the entry way of the living room, rolling up the sleeves to his shirt. He has a knowing smirk on his face and I can’t help but smile.

“Music… candles… _that dress_. If I didn’t know any better, I would say it’s my birthday,” he says to me and I laugh.

“Well, this is _my_ birthday and I want what I didn’t get last year.”

“And what is that?”

I walk towards him, having to look up now that I am without heels. I place my hands on his chest and undo some of the buttons of his shirt.

“I want to dance with my best friend,” I begin and run my hands down his chest and stomach before reaching for his hands. I place them on my waist.

“That’s all?” he whispers and I find myself blushing.

“No,” I reply and he raises a brow. “I don’t have to pretend I don’t feel anything for you. I get to show you just how much I want you.” I kiss him. “How much I love you.” I kiss him again.


End file.
